, 1887-04-01
LlEEsoArs DRIVEN eY STEAM.


why should Oars Always BE Relied
Upon In the Surf?
One of the subjects now occupying the
attention of the officers in charge of the
life saving stations of the United States is
the substitution of some other power for
propelling lifeboats through the surf than
the muscles of the crews, exerted through
long heavy oars. The proposition to sub
stitute steam launches for rowboats is not
a new one, but no practical attempt to
make the change has ever been made.
The proposition has simply been dis
cussed. The need of something more
Trustworthy than o3rs in the hands OF
men who are drenched to the skin with
freezing salt spray, and exhausted, per-
haps, with a long pull from the beach to
the wreck, and the exertions of getting
tho sailors from the wreck, into the boat,
is apparent to any one whoconsiders the
subject. Even in a smooth sea it is no
small task for a crew to force the big two
ton boat through the water. 1t is likely
that for a sweepstakes of 800 OF a pleas
ant day they might row over a three mile
straightaway course in an hour. But in
the face of a winter gale, when men are
dropping from the rigging Of n stranded
vessel into the surf, and a minutes delay
may mean the loss of a human life, then
it is all that tho crews can do TO mako
any Roadway.
To the ordinary observer the construc-
ton of a steam engine, boiler, shaft and
wheel fit to drive a twenty-five foot boat
seems u simple matter. 1t is, in fact,
easy to build n stanch steam launch of
that size. But team launches arc sup
posed to ride over tho waves, while u
lifeboat must frequently go through
them. Any ordinary sort Of a steam
boiler fired by coal would be drowned out
by the first curler that dropped into the
boat. But that need not discourage in
ventors who want to use steam to drive
q lifeboat. Steam boilers can be heated
by petroleum or by compressed gas, and
these fuels, with tho necessary air to
produce combustion, might DO pumped
into u water tight firebox. Nor need tho
inventors confine themselves to steam en-
gines. Within u year or so exceedingly
compact and powerful engines, operated
by the explosion of Crude petroleum and
air in tho cylinder OF the engine, have
come into uso and are highly recon-
mended by those who have used them.
1t is apparent that ono of these machines
could be- adapted to a lifeboat, for Lieut..
Zalinski at Fort Hamilton proposed to use
one in tho submarine torpedo boat with
which ho is experimenting. Equally easy
to adapt to tho purpose would be some of
tho modern gas engines, i'll which the
power comes from igniting a quantity of
illuminating gas mixed with air.
A regular lifeboat, decked over at the
water limo, built with compartments,
supplied with al iron keel for ballast,
might be fitted with a steam engine. The
increase Of weight would be an objec-
ton, but the increase of speed when
once sho was afloat, and the comfort Of
her crow, who would not be required to
wear themselves out Mt the oars, and tho
certainty that the BOAT could meet even
tho largest breakers when backing toward
tho beach, and the fact that the compare
tivcly fresh crew could, if necessary, in
this the most critical point of the trip,
got out a couple Of oars to help keep tho
boat bows on, are considerations that
would probably outweigh all objections.
Now York Sun.